The things that are happening in this book are not coming at us hot and heavy, but rather we, much like the Hood, are discovering realities slowly but surely. And although the pace is not near as action-packed as Secret Avengers has been of late, I like it!
In the vein of classic Avengers tales, book scribe and Marvel U. architect Brian Michael Bendis is building on some very interesting Marvel lore – some created long ago by others, some dangling threads left by himself -- to weave this tale of the further adventures of the Hood and the return of – the Infinity Gauntlet!
It will be interesting to see the Hood in the world of these “new” Avengers, Steve Rogers-picked mainstays for the official “public” lineup, rather than the nitty-gritty world of Luke Cage’s band. With the power set the Hood is trying to enter, both Thor and the Red Hulk may be needed in this team in the months ahead.
The public outing – at least among the superhero set – of the Illuminati this go-round was excellent. I would think ol’ Shellhead would’ve been a bit more cautious as to how he brought the team together again, especially after it was the failure of Stark-tech that allowed the Skrulls to establish a foothold on Earth during Secret Invasion. I guess the urgency of the matter at hand, and all that.
Despite the running backup, Bendis continues to impress me with his use of threads from the past as well as picking up subplots (remember those, readers?) such as Wonder Man’s hatred of current Avengers doings. And it was a real pleasure, this issue and last, to see the prime Avengers team enjoying time together and planning on Noh-Varr’s new living arrangements. (Exactly who does live in the Tower these days? Always love those little tidbits.)
I can find no fault with the art because JRJR, aided and abetted by Mr. Janson and Mr. White, draws each and every Marvel character to perfection. His dad and John Buscema wrote the book on the Marvel Manner (literally); looks like the kid read it!
And wow, what an awesome Lockjaw! (I cannot see the teleporting pooch anymore without thinking of Cosmo’s line from Guardians of the Galaxy when the two met: “Are you God?” lol!)
Keep bringing us these classic Avengers with modern touches and this reader/reviewer will be happy. And I wonder if either Thanos or Nebula will be making appearances soon, since the Gauntlet is on the market again? Talk about a world the Hood never made!